First Wave

A System Apocalypse LitRPG (Endgame Earth, Book 1)

By: Marko Duskborn

Narrated by: Cindy Palmer

The world doesn’t end with fire.

It ends with a notification you can feel in your bones.

Alec West was just trying to keep a remote communications relay alive when reality stutters—then rewrites itself. The sky fractures into a vast geometric lattice. The ground splits with impossible blue-white seams. And a force racing across the mountains—the First Wave—turns ordinary rules into a new kind of math.

Suddenly, Alec isn’t just surviving the collapse.

He’s being ranked.

A system he can’t see is measuring everything: pain tolerance, instinct, aggression, efficiency. Power condenses into his palm like code made physical. A fire axe becomes more than a tool. And every decision—fight, flee, hide, help—feeds the same cold scoreboard.

But the Wave isn’t done.

Something is waking beneath the relay station. Something ancient, engineered, and hungry. If Alec can’t learn the rules fast enough, he won’t just die out here.

He’ll become part of the System.

FIRST WAVE is a high-stakes LitRPG apocalypse packed with progression, survival combat, and a world where leveling up is the only way to stay human—when reality itself is trying to patch you out.

©2026 Marko Duskborn (P)2026 Marko Duskborn

Pass the wave

This is my favorite genre; as a fan of role-playing games, I really connect with stories like Alec's. He wakes up in a reality where he possesses powers and must learn to control them to level up and keep advancing through the "waves"—his only option for survival, or else the system will consume him. I enjoyed all the action in the book and Alec's adventures alongside his allies; it also has its moments of comedy. Highly recommended.

The audiobook excels at creating tension

This delivers exactly what LitRPG fans look for: a fast-moving apocalypse, meaningful character progression, and a mysterious system that transforms reality overnight. When Alec West witnesses the arrival of the First Wave, the world he knows is replaced by one governed by rankings, stats, and brutal survival. Every encounter pushes him to adapt, grow stronger, and uncover the terrifying secrets hidden beneath the chaos.

The audiobook excels at creating tension, blending action-packed combat with the constant uncertainty of a world being rewritten in real time. Alec is a relatable protagonist whose struggle to understand the System makes his progression feel earned rather than handed to him. The mystery surrounding the Wave and the forces behind it adds depth beyond the usual level-grinding formula.

So good

First Wavw by Marko Duskborn is so good I loved every minute of this book. Alec is learning that he is being ranked in a system that no one can see but have heared of. He learns some tools have more than one purpose, and something is waking up beneath them. The first wave is were they find out who is strong and who go into the system. Such a great book I loved.

This is an engaging blend of survival

This is an engaging blend of survival, progression fantasy, and post-apocalyptic adventure that keeps the stakes high from beginning to end. The story begins when reality suddenly fractures, introducing a mysterious System that evaluates every action, decision, and instinct. Thrust into this new world, Alec West must quickly adapt or risk becoming another casualty of a rapidly changing reality.

One of the novel’s strengths is how naturally it introduces its LitRPG mechanics. The progression feels rewarding, and the System elements enhance the story without overwhelming it. Alec’s journey from ordinary technician to capable survivor is filled with challenging encounters, difficult choices, and a growing sense of mystery about what is truly happening to the world.

this is definitely worth a listen.

The story grabbed my attention right from the beginning with its unique take on the end of the world. Instead of a typical apocalypse, the world changes because of a mysterious system, and that fresh concept kept me curious about what would happen next.

Alec is a likable main character who feels like an ordinary person doing his best to survive and adapt as everything around him changes. The action is exciting, but there's also enough mystery and world-building to make the setting feel interesting without slowing the pace.

I also thought the narration by Cindy Palmer added a lot to the experience. She did a great job capturing the tension and keeping the story engaging.